I passed? Cool! Now what?

[AlexCrowley 0]

Friday I finally got myself off student status and am the proud owner of my A license.

I have 27 jumps and have a thimble full of knowledge enough to keep me alive in reasonable jump conditions.

Whats next?

Hopefully you're sat there with several hundred/thousand jumps, wanting to bestow your wisdom on an impressionable novice.

What areas do you suggest he (or for arguments sake, she) concentrate on first?

From my side of the experience fence it would seem that canopy piloting would be the most important stuff to nail down in the short term, after all its the thing you're always going to do (hopefully) and the one that takes up the most time and skill (in a sense that anyone can fall out of a plane, no one has discovered a 'law of canopy piloting' - at least they never taught it at my school if they did). But what do I know? I know barely enough to not die if things go as planned. Yes, I'm sort of rambling along here.

So, wily veterans of the sky, I bow to your knowledge and experience. If you could restart at jump 27 - what would you do? what do you wish you'd known? who would you have bugged incessantly for information? does beer really help your arch?

Thanks in advance.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[TFFTM 1]

I concentrated on canopy work with mainly H&Ps. It kinda hurt my progression as a flyer but I do have outstanding accuracy work with my canopy.
If I had to do it over again I would have probably went to altitude more and did some relative work, opened at my usual altitude and still do my accuracy and canopy skills.
Now I am the guy who can pilot the canopy but I am a challenge to do RW with.

All in all to me canopy skills are VERY important, but I have learned so are free fall skills.
Use every part of your skydive to learn and practice every time.

Good Luck

BSBD
Home of the Alabama Gang

[airtwardo 6]

Whats next?

Hopefully you're sat there with several hundred/thousand jumps, wanting to bestow your wisdom on an impressionable novice.

***

Jump out with some friends...look around...HAVE FUN!


Lather...rinse...repeat



It's not a race, or competition...relax and enjoy!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[AlexCrowley 0]

Thank airtwardo, the whole experience is 'fun'. Sorry to have given the impression I'm in a rush, I'm not. I am hoping to be a safe skydiver who has enough knowledge (and builds enough experience) to try the things I am interested in doing, which are out of my reach until I have a significant number of jumps. In the meantime I'll approach this exactly the same way I approach everything else in my life, which is to be the best that I can.

Mostly I'd like to form a plan so I dont end up doing jumps where I just 'sorta fall' for 55 seconds. I can still have a lot of fun while doing something constructive in the air:)

I am still a little confused about what the big deal about jumping with other people is all about - but I think thats more indicative of my habitually being alone, doing my coached jumps was fun. I probably just need to get a little more time in at the DZ and form a few new friendships. Well, maybe I'll make some more when I deliver the owed beer next weekend.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[fmmobley 0]

I am barely more experience than you are. I just took Scott Miller's Canopy Control class and highly recommend it.

In the meantime just jump a lot, make relationships with other skydivers, and jump with them.

Have a new goal, obtaining your "B" license.

... Marion

[AlexCrowley 0]

Scott's class was great. I have a list of things to do under canopy now rather than just sorta hanging out in the sky :)

I guess I'll just be jumping a lot

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[nate_1979 9]

Quote

So, wily veterans of the sky, I bow to your knowledge and experience.

I dont qualify, but I just wanted to say congrats on your 'A' Have fun jumping with other people, doing whatever style of jumping it is you do

FGF #???
I miss the sky...
There are 10 types of people in the world... those who understand binary and those who don't.

[wmw999 2,146]

Yeah, remember that the canopy stuff isn't an afterthought. And remember that if you keep the jumps simple, then more stuff will become automatic knowledge.

That fun thing helps, too... As does the not taking it too seriously thing
Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[gemini 0]

Congrats on your A!

Now, show up at the dz early, make friends with the "old" jumpers, and listen to their stories, debriefs, and jump planning.

By getting there early, you will be around when people are invited on jumps. You won't get on all the jumps, but you will get on some of them.

Know you limitations and when the orgainzer asks, tell him where you feel most comfortable. If you don't understand something, don't say "yes" when asked if you understand what you are supposed to do.

Watch how they organize and why they do certain things.

After a few more jumps you will be tempted to pass your new knowledge on to a newer (than you) jumper and will be planning jumps. If you are 100% sure of your statement (or answer to a question), there is nothing wrong with telling the other jumper.

Don't ever be afraid to ask for help. Most old jumpers like to help new jumpers, because they want them to get better so the old guys will have more people to jump with.

When you screw up, listen to what the other jumpers say and ask them how you can fix the problem. Don't argue or offer excuses! Listen, listen and listen.

If you observe a safety violation ask someone about it. There may be an aspect of the incident that you are unaware of and did not see or consider. Let the S&TA take the actions necessary to solve the problem, but let him know of your concern.

Take a canopy control class as soon as possible.

Practice your EPs religiously and insist on a pin check.

Verify you are in the correct spot in the exit order...know what the group in front of you and behind you is doing.

Listen, be aware, be safe, be friendly and be considerate of your other jumpers. Help the newer jumpers be better skydivers, by being a better skydiver yourself.

Blue skies,

Jim

[Jeth 0]

Quote

Mostly I'd like to form a plan so I dont end up doing jumps where I just 'sorta fall' for 55 seconds. I can still have a lot of fun while doing something constructive in the air:)

I am still a little confused about what the big deal about jumping with other people is all about

I am a newbie myself, but I can tell you it makes such a difference to jump with other people! I have only done a few solo's, I don't like them except to practice with my canopy up high. It is soooooo much more fun to jump with people! A friend of mine recently off student status asked me a similar question about the fuss about jumping with others. Then she went on her 1st 4-way. After she landed she was raving about how awesome it was.

Also, I have probably spent too much time doing 2-ways with other rookies. Those are fun, but you don't learn nearly as much as when you do a bigger way with experienced jumpers. (And those can be fun, too. Especially when you nail the exit or find your slot. Woo-hoo!! )

"At 13,000 feet nothing else matters."
PFRX!!!!!
Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109
My Jump Site

[Andy9o8 0]

Quote

I am still a little confused about what the big deal about jumping with other people is all about - but I think thats more indicative of my habitually being alone.

Many novices think that; I know I did when I first got off student status. The way it was explained to me was: jumping alone is just floating, while jumping with others is actually flying. Once I started jumping with others, I realized that was right.

[StevePhelps 0]

Congrats. Lots of good advice here ... heed it. I suggest some working dives with coaches and other experienced folks, but don't forget to get out there and simply have fun. Be safe, but have fun.

I learned at single cessna DZ, so many times there wasn't enough people to make a load of experienced people, but suprisingly I made a few RW jumps. I also took advantage of empty slots with tandems and went out solo. That is a good time to learn canopy skills and simply enjoy jumping for jumping sakes.

Be safe ... have fun ... learn!

[mailin 0]

Did this happen on Sunday when I wasn't there?

Congrats!

Now you get to jump with me




Jen

Arianna Frances

[Devious 0]

Quote

I am still a little confused about what the big deal about jumping with other people is all about - but I think thats more indicative of my habitually being alone, doing my coached jumps was fun.

Jumping by yourself a lot can get old really quick.

Jumping with friends is awesome. You can bullshit later over bonfire and beer about how you nailed a skydive or how so and so screwed it up. But they are all good. Perfect or not.

The best part of getting your A is that there isn't anybody out there testing you anymore. No more pass/fail. This is also a good way to develop into a better skydiver. I love jumping with people more experience because it makes me better and I can learn from them. Having somebody who knows what you are doing wrong and can tell you what to do to correct it will more than likely speed up your learning curve.

Congratulations and have fun.

--------------------------------------------------
May the skys be blue, but never your balls!!!

[AlexCrowley 0]

Quote

Did this happen on Sunday when I wasn't there?

Congrats!

Now you get to jump with me




Jen

Hi Jen,

I had a busy weekend so I went up on Friday, packed my student rig (grrr) and then did the check dive with Muppet, then went home again to work

I'm trying to shift my schedule enough for next weekend that a) I get some time to see people, b) I get to watch people drink the beer that I'll be bringing.

I'd love to jump with you! If everything goes well this week I should finally have my Infinity ready to jump! (crossing fingers and hoping it got to Brian in time).

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[AlexCrowley 0]

Thank you to everyone who's contributed to this thread so far, I really appreciate your collective inputs.

It's a great deal of fun to be this side of the learning curve again, especially learning something as life changing as skydiving.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[billvon 2,426]

Some bits of advice I've learned over the years:

Beware the skydiver in the Bell helmet.

If the spotter gives a 90 degree right turn, and the pilot turns around and says "where are we going?" - be prepared to open high.

Don't go out drinking with the Skydive Long Island or the Irish Parachute Club crowd too often.

If you're on a bigway, and there is a very attractive woman on the dive with a transparent suit on, she may be there for reasons other than her ability to do bigways.

Do not launch complex 4-way dives from 4000 feet with people who are determined to get 9 points.

If you are ever going to land under a ball of shit, it should be the largest ball of shit possible.

Don't bet Buzz.

[AlexCrowley 0]

Quote

Some bits of advice I've learned over the years:

Beware the skydiver in the Bell helmet.

If the spotter gives a 90 degree right turn, and the pilot turns around and says "where are we going?" - be prepared to open high.

Don't go out drinking with the Skydive Long Island or the Irish Parachute Club crowd too often.

If you're on a bigway, and there is a very attractive woman on the dive with a transparent suit on, she may be there for reasons other than her ability to do bigways.

Do not launch complex 4-way dives from 4000 feet with people who are determined to get 9 points.

If you are ever going to land under a ball of shit, it should be the largest ball of shit possible.

Don't bet Buzz.

These are all great bits of advice, thanks Bill!

Now, where can I get one of them transparent suits? I'm sure it would be a great way to break the ice and meet new people at my DZ.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[bob.dino 0]

Quote

Now, where can I get one of them transparent suits? I'm sure it would be a great way to break the ice and meet new people at my DZ.

I am never ever ever going to jump with you. Ick!

The best advice I can give you (and I've just under two years in the sport), is not to do too many solos. You can develop a lot of bad habits without even realising. Habits that can take a long time and a lot of frustration to later break.

If you fancy flying on your belly, do lots of 2- & 3-ways. Try to jump with more experienced folk. Listen. Smile. Be safe. Have fun

• Quote

[damion75 0]

Quote

Now, show up at the dz early, make friends with the "old" jumpers, and listen to their stories, debriefs, and jump planning.

By getting there early, you will be around when people are invited on jumps. You won't get on all the jumps, but you will get on some of them.

Know you limitations and when the orgainzer asks, tell him where you feel most comfortable. If you don't understand something, don't say "yes" when asked if you understand what you are supposed to do.

I was going to say something else, but I reckon that this is the best bit of advice I have seen! Two reasons, firstly that the social side of the sport is something I enjoy second only to the jumping, but secondly (and mainly) because while people here can give you ideas and thoughts, the guys at your DZ are the ones who are going to help you put them into action!

Definitely make the effort and take the time to get to know as many people as possible, along the way you will find out who are the straight talkers and who just talks a good game... but also if they are your friends (and they will be!) then they will definitely help you progress in every aspect of the sport better and safer than anything you can find on the internet!
Have fun!

***************

Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.

[airtwardo 6]

Always let the FAT guy spot...

He don't wanna do any WALKING!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[airricks 0]

This was the thread I was looking for! I graduated on Monday with my A and had a talk with the DZO about what now.....Up until now Ive had an assigned instructor, an assigned diveflow, etc. Now I really don't know any of the experienced jumpers, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do either. I'm just happy I got my license this year as it was a goal I set out to do. So now I will just kind of go with the flow I guess! Congrats on your A!!

[AlexCrowley 0]

Quote

This was the thread I was looking for! I graduated on Monday with my A and had a talk with the DZO about what now.....Up until now Ive had an assigned instructor, an assigned diveflow, etc. Now I really don't know any of the experienced jumpers, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do either. I'm just happy I got my license this year as it was a goal I set out to do. So now I will just kind of go with the flow I guess! Congrats on your A!!

You too Airrick, Congrats.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[JohnMitchell 14]

Everything Billvon said, and learn to track really well. It seems to be the last thing people actually learn to do well. Take a few jumps just tracking, and not a big flock dive, just you, experimenting with pushing on th air different ways. A little coaching would be good, too.

Tracking is a huge survival skill. I hate to see it done poorly.

[AlexCrowley 0]

Quote

Everything Billvon said, and learn to track really well. It seems to be the last thing people actually learn to do well. Take a few jumps just tracking, and not a big flock dive, just you, experimenting with pushing on th air different ways. A little coaching would be good, too.

Tracking is a huge survival skill. I hate to see it done poorly.

Thanks, this is a good idea. I actually owe my coach at least 3 more jumps to cover exactly this subject as he has similar concerns and I'm more interested in learning a decent skillset than just having enough info to have gotten thru my A requirements.

My goals at this point are to fly some camera (it's what I do on the ground, I'd like to have the ability to get some shots in the air) and eventually skysurf. So racking up jump numbers and getting some hardcore skills are very important to me.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.